My Slice of Haven
by MissMayFF
Summary: Thirteen years after Poppi Amber is sent away from Haven by her father, she receives news that the very same man has mysteriously gone missing. What will she find when she returns to Haven? And will old faces welcome her back? A lot had changed in Haven and what Poppi discovers is only the very beginning. OC/Duke Crocker/Haven FF.
1. Hollow

Poppi had dark ginger hair and fair skin marked with pale freckles across her nose, cheeks and down her arms and legs. She preferred her hair to be cut to her shoulders and layered to frame her heart shaped face. The way she dresses was simple and it was sweet. Knitted cardigans, cowboy style boots and coffee stain coloured floral dresses that hugged her waist, skimmed her hips and stopped just before her knees.  
>These were the things the young woman focused on as she drove her beat up 'Bug back into a town she thought she would never see again and all on her twenty-seventh birthday. The news had reached her the night before from Vince Teagues who by his telling was the only person in Haven to which her father Thomson Amber, had given her whereabouts to.<p>

Her fingers rubbed the side of her temple as the 'Bug came to a slow stop outside of the house she had spent the first fourteen years of her life in. Poppi switch off the engine and exited the car pocketing the keys into her grey knit cardigan and looked up at the two story house with it's dirty white walls and dark wooden trimmings.

"Poppi? Poppi Amber?"

She turned to where her name was being called and recognised the old man staring at her. "Vince."

"Oh my, you've no idea how much you look like you're mother now you're a grown lady." He patted the side of her arm as she came to stand by his side.

Poppi smiled at the comment, her only memories of her mother known as Lily Lee Amber were from photos and old 35mm film movies. Lily had passed away due to her trouble not long after Poppi's fifth birthday, but everyone had told her she died in a terrible car accident. "Has there been any progress with my father's disappearance?"

Vince shook his head. "There were no signs of forced entry or suggestion of an attack inside the house. The police are factoring in that your father may have just left."

"No, dad wouldn't leave Haven. This is where he met my mother and built a life with her, you don't just up and leave that behind without telling someone. He loved her dearly even after she passed away. I grew up surrounded by her photos and he would recount time and time again about how they met in high school." She thumbed her chin. "Something else happened here."

"Well you might just be right about that one. I didn't know your father as well as some people here did but I know how much he adored your mother and you. Here, I've got a spare set of keys he left me." Vince dropped them into Poppi's hands and clasped her fingers shut around him. "I think that' the reason he trusted me with your location. At that time thee weren't many people to trust."

Poppi looked at him confused but thanked him any way before Vince made his good-byes and she walked down the gravel pathway towards the front door. It smelled of dirt and earth as she pressed one hand against it while unlocking it with the other. The heavy door swung open into a silent house. Her green eyes began to search the opening before stepping it.  
>It was like the house had been stuck in a stand till or a snow globe for nothing had changed. Not a single thing was out of place.<p>

"Damn." She whispered to herself and closed the door behind her. There was a thin coat of dust beginning to settle over the mantle above the fire place and one the photo graphs that stood centre on the coffee table. But Poppi found herself stuck gazing at the fireplace and the longer she did she found it began to pluck at something deep in the back of her mind that she couldn't seem to remember.

The buzz of her cell in her pocket grounded her back to reality. "Ahoi hoi." She answered without looking at the caller I.D.

"Hey babe, it's me. Listen the boss said I can take a few days if you need me to come to Haven for you?" It was the man calling himself her boyfriend on the other end. Poppi herself wasn't keen on the term or the idea of having a boyfriend, however she had found herself fitting into the slot of being in a relationship over the past several months. The only other person Poppi had been close to in that sense and actually wanted to be called girlfriend by was before she left Haven.

"Jason, I didn't look at the caller. Sorry I just...I'm inside my dad's house. Uh the cops are starting to think he just left, but something isn't right." Her reply was distant as her legs began to move her towards the staircase leading to the second level of the house where her room used to be.

"Sorry to hear that, I will leave in the morning okay?"

"Um no that's okay. I don't know how long I will be here but let me just get my head right and I will call you back. I want to go down to the station and push for something more than the jammed up theory they have going." With that Poppi mindlessly clipped her phone shut and began to ascend the old creaky stairs.

Poppi traced the deeply polished handrail with her slender fingers and soon found herself walking down the bedroom halls, the last room was the bathroom but the one before that had been the most familiar to her. She turned into the open door of what had been her bedroom and again not a single thing had changed. A droplet of pity fell inside her chest as Poppi began to think about ow lone her father had must have been after sending her to that boarding school. It was such a big house to be alone in.

The posters of the grunge rock bands of her teenage years still clung to the walls and her bed was still made with the same pale cream bed covers she had preferred so much. To the far end of the room was a glossy white writing table which had been neatened in her absence. In amongst the piles of paper and books was one special book that was kept under lock and keys. Her hand ran over it's purple material cover with a saddened smile. All her deepest and darkest secrets were kept in that book. Poppi still even had the key attached to a thin silver chain that hung around her neck. She contemplated opening it but instead decided that what was in there was best kept within the pages however her eyes noticed the corner of something hanging out from the bottom.  
>Tugging on the edge it soon slipped out as an old photo taken just before she had left. Poppi looked down at the polaroid film photograph and felt her entire chest begin to plummet to her toes. Staring back at her were the happy smiles shared by two happy teenagers. It looked as if the boy in the photo was the one with his arm stretched out with the camera to take the photo while his other lanky arm sat around the teenage girl's arm.<br>Her arm. Poppi was the girl in the photo and she remembered that afternoon so well. Quickly she stuffed the photo into her pocket with her phone and exited the room.

Poppi hadn't seen that face in thirteen years, not even on the day she had left Haven did she get the chance to tell that face she was being made to leave. It would have sent her father into a fit of anger to know his daughter was secretly dating the Crocker boy, Duke.

Never had she known why her father had such a hate towards that family. But what she had known was that Duke had loved her and she in return had loved Duke. Perhaps she still did and as Poppi made her way away from the house with the intention of going down to the police station she found herself starting to wonder if Duke was still living in Haven? And if he was, what would she do about it? Nothing probably. What could she have done? They were so young and silly back then telling one another that they were forever. A chuckle came from her lips as she thought of the crazy things they had promised each other.

These thoughts had taken her all the way to the station where she parked across the road and eventually got out of her car. Again there wasn't much about Haven that had changed, perhaps it was the entire town that was stuck in its own snow globe.

Detective Nathan Wuornos had just come into the station with a file in his hand when he looked up at the young woman who looked so out of place but also was someone he recognized. "Can I help you ma'am?"

Poppi's attention was caught by the detective and as her eyes locked with his they widened. "Nathan? It's Poppi Amber."

Nathan squinted his eyes before the recognition finally hit him at the woman making her way towards him. He remembered her as the only Amber child but had just seemed to disappear one day, like it seemed her father had just done. "You're hear about your dad?"

She nodded tucking her hands back into her cardigan sleeves. "Vince tell me you think my dad just up and left town?"

He began to nod. "There were no signs of forced entry or a struggle inside the house and no one reported anything suspicious the night of his disappearance. So yes we have to take into account that he has left Haven."

Poppi remembered Nathan as the kid Duke liked to bully but she was a couple of years younger than the others so that is all she could remember really. There weren't many kids in Haven that were her age who wanted anything to do with her and that is how she fell in with Duke. He had shown her a friendly smile and a chat after seeing her sitting alone with face deep into a book. "My dad didn't just leave, something happened to him Nathan. There is no way he would have left his life here behind. It's all he had left."

Nathan didn't want to rule out any possibilities but the case was looking like it was closer and closer to going cold. "Well maybe that's why he left. You might remember your dad as the guy who had all these great memories in Haven but after you left we all saw what happened to him. He wasn't the same man Poppi, he was...darker."

Her tongue tutted and her brow arched. "I don't know how you to made it to detective Nathan Wuornos. I remember you getting beat up by Duke and you never tried to defend yourself so I am thinking you're still the same weak kid and this is just going in your 'too hard basket'." Spitting the last words Poppi didn't leave room for Nathan to reply and turned on her heel marching out of the station and back to her car.

Poppi slammed her driver's side door shut and shoved the keys into the ignition. "If the police don't want to help me I will find my father on my own."


	2. Forget Me Not

The old father time clock struck midnight and Poppi was exhausted but still she sat up with her head in her hands with tears staining her freckled cheeks. When she had returned to her childhood house after the station, there was a feeling there that hadn't been when she'd first arrived. But it was heavy and thick, almost suffocatingly morbid and dangerously powerful. A sudden knock over the wooden door however jump started Poppi from the feeling of despair crushing her.

Her bare feet, boots cast to the boot rack next to the front door, padded across the cold floorboards and she opened the door.

"Surprise baby." Jason stood in the midnight darkness still in his suit with a bunch of roses in his hands. "You sounded so distraught on the phone that I had to leave early." The tall chestnut haired man with a killer pearly white smile gently pushed past Poppi into the home immediately looking around. "Wow. So this is where my Poppi grew up huh?"

Her skin crawled at being called 'baby' and 'his', there were very few things that Poppi couldn't handle but being claimed like a piece of furniture was top on her list of things that drove her insane. But she bit back her acidic tongue and shut the door. "Yea, this is home sweet home. Well it was for at least fourteen years."

"It's gorgeous." Jason was a real estate agent so his definition of what was gorgeous differed muchly from most people's. He dropped the roses on the coffee table and shrugged his coat off to drape it over the back of the chocolate suede lounge suite three seater.

Clapping onto the mess this man was making Poppi got the irks and moved the items away, heading to the kitchen with them. The coat went on the coat rack next to the back door and the roses in the sink. This was, for the moment, her house and being back in that house brought up old routines like they were yesterday.

Jason noticed the tick in Poppi's stride as she padded back into the lounge area. "You haven't unpacked, do you want me to do that for you?" He pointed to her unzipped over night bag.

Her head shook. "No. I can live out of a bag for a few days. I told you not to come." There was a sense of irrational irritation tugging at Poppi and for the life of her she tried to shove it down. After all Jason just thought he was doing the right thing and that didn't make him a bad guy. Most girls would have given their right arm to have a guy like Jason. He had a great job, money, good looks and wasn't a jerk. However he wasn't for Poppi and she knew that. She had always known who was though.

"I know but like I said you sounded so not...you. You're usually so cool, calm and collected." He looked at her with puppy dog brown eyes.

"Okay." She raked a hand through her hair and let it flop back into place. "I guess...you can stay in the guest room upstairs."

"Great, I will go grab my bag." He beamed a smile at her to which she replied with her own uneasy one before Jason left only to come back moments later.

"Second door on the left." Poppi pointed towards the staircase. "Just don't touch anything, okay."

He chuckled. "Don't worry babe."

Again her flesh shivered in the most unpleasant way, Jason being there wasn't what she needed. What she needed was to find out where her father was. Frustrated she huffed and turned towards where the fireplace sat and again found her eyes drawn to it.  
>What was it about the fireplace? They had used it in the winter where her father would roast marshmallow's over the flames, but that she could see clearly in her minds eye. There was something else about it that scratched under the surface, Poppi only wished she could get at it. It felt important, so why couldn't she remember?<p>

Her finger's pinched the bridge of her nose in a sudden reaction to the violent headache growing inside her head and down her neck to spread over her shoulders. Her stomach churned and Poppi's sore, over tired body dropped into the lounge chair.

The sound of the shower began to tap on the floor above her head and she rolled her eyes, first thing was first. A sleep as good as she could get it and find a way to get rid of Jason in the morning.

* * *

Duke Crocker hadn't expected to see Nathan on his boat, the Cape Rouge, early that morning. But then again he really didn't expect the detective to tell him that Poppi Amber was back in town staying in her missing father's house. So the third thing he hadn't factored in for his day was a trip down the Amber gravel pathway to knock on the door of the house Poppi once lived in. Yet that is exactly what he found himself doing.

As he stood in front of that door he could remember the day he'd found out Poppi had left without telling him. It was the same day sixteen year old Duke had decided to man up and tell Mr Amber that he was madly in love with Poppi and wanted her father's approval to openly court her. He had been devastated to find she was no longer there especially after spilling the truth about them to Thomson Amber. In the father's anger he had told young Duke that he had sent his daughter away because of him.

In front of him the door opened as he was stuck between his memories and contemplating turning and leaving that house. "Can I help you?" A questioning males voice asked.

Duke rose a brow, another unexpected thing to add to the day's growing list. "Well...you're not Poppi..."

"Ahh no, and who are you?" Jason was looking back at this stranger wondering who was calling after his girlfriend at seven in the morning.

Duke rubbed the back of his head wondering what to say next. "Just an old friend of Poppi's. Heard she was back in Haven is all."

Poppi had fallen asleep in front of the fireplace not long after hearing Jason turn the shower on. Her eyes sleepily opened to peek over at the clock. It was seven and she could hear voices at the front door. Not being the best morning person Poppi's face was less than impressed as she shuffled to her feet and made her way towards the door.

"This really isn't the most appropriate time for visits." She moved Jason's arm out of the way so she could take her place at the front door and as she did her gaze came to rest upon eyes that were immediately recognisable.  
>"Duke..." She was almost breathless seeing his face again. Even though he had gotten older Duke was still Duke and here was no mistaking him for anyone else. It looked as if the lanky boy she knew had grown up to be a guy that filled out into his skin with muscle and a well kept form. And he was so much taller than she remembered.<p>

Duke was looking down at Poppi with an open mouth and he could feel the weight of tears prickling the back of his eyeballs. "I shouldn't have come here." He turned towards the pathway and began to stalk away as fast as he could without giving away just how unnerved he was by seeing her again. Looking down into the freckled face when he thought he would never ever see it again in a million years tore open an old wound he thought long scarred over.

"Wait Duke, don't walk away like that." Poppi jogged after him with bare feet over the gravel ignoring how the loose stones bit into her foot. "Ouch!" She cried as the flesh of her foot connected with a shard of glass.

As quick as he had turned away Duke turned back to see Poppi balancing awkwardly on one foot while picking glass from the other. "Are you okay?" He asked coming to her side and taking her arm in his to assist her procurious balancing act. He looked down at the blood dripping from her foot and staining her fingers and gulped down hard. Why'd she have to come back now?

"Just glass..." She dropped the last of it on the grass next to the pathway and looked back up to Duke. "You don't have to run away from me you know."

"What like you didn't run away from me? Your dad told me why he sent you away." Duke snapped in reply as he gently turned Poppi around towards the house with her arm tucked around his waist. He was far too tall and her too short to have her arm around his neck. The woman had barely grown since he last saw her and he had no other place to put his arm other than around her shoulders.

"My dad sent me away because I reminded him too much of mum and he couldn't take it." Her reply was just as short and snippy.

Inside the house Jason was in the kitchen. "I am not good with blood...so maybe you could fix that?"

Both Duke and Poppi rolled their eyes. "Some boyfriend you've got there." Duke plopped Poppi on one of the two single seaters.

"First aid is under the kitchen sink. And he is not my boyfriend." She whispered the last part with a hiss and glowered at Duke.

Duke set his jaw with a click before going to fish out the first aid.

"Is she okay?" Jason asked as Duke pulled out the kit.

He looked at the man disapprovingly. "She'll live."

Poppi already had her hand out for the first aid when Duke returned and thankfully so. Duke wasn't sure about the family history of the Amber's since he was never able to get close, but it was most likely that Poppi had a bloodline like so many in the town of Haven had that made her blood dangerous to herself when around Duke.

"What did my dad tell you?" For a moment she looked to Duke with a softness he remembered from her. Almost as if she were looking at him in the same way she used to.

Poppi let her eyes roam over the adult Crocker. His hair was still dark but it was thick and long enough to push back into a knot. He sported a moustache and short goatee and from what Poppi could see under his pushed up jacket sleeves had a tattoo on his left bicep but couldn't read all the text.

Duke could see Poppi's wonderfully green eyes running over him and he pulled down the sleeves of his jacket. "He told me he sent you away because of me. Because you were scared of me...if I knew you were that frightened of me I would have left you alone-"

"Duke, I was never afraid of you." Her brow dropped, why would her father have said that? "What was there to be scared of? Did I ever once act like I didn't want to be around you?" She dumped the last of bloody cotton buds into a pile before placing a plaster over the cut and further crossed her leg over her knee.

Duke noticed from the hem of her dress that rode up as she changed the position of her leg that she had a tattoo on her right thigh otherwise hidden by the dress. "No." He shook his head as he thought back to the precious hours they'd stolen away for one another. "You seemed happy when you were with me."

"And I was." She replied. "I don't know why dad would have said that...we both know he hated your family. Maybe it had something to do with why." She began to ponder and sat back in the chair. "Nathan thinks he's just packed a bag and left Haven."

Duke looked over to her as she began to lose herself in thought. "Did you ever talk to your dad after you left?"

"No, he wouldn't call and when I did he wouldn't answer." Tears began to well in her eyes, it cut Poppi deep to know that she was the reason her father no longer loved her. It wasn't her fault she looked so much like her mother though, but it didn't make a difference. "I guess he stopped loving me."

It pained him to see her thinking that, he and everyone else in Haven knew better. "Poppi, your dad didn't stop loving you. After he sent you away we all saw how that took a toll on him. He was so sad all the time and angry at himself for letting you go. You were all he had left." Duke bit down on his lower lip. "Listen, go get washed up and changed. I'll take you for coffee, there is something you need to see. Still soy latte with three?"

She nodded. "Didn't think you'd remember."

"How could I forget hunting around for soy milk in those days?" He chuckled with a heavy tone as she left to do as requested.

Jason had been hanging back in the kitchen just inside the doorway listening, but finally plucked up the courage to come back into the lounge room. "So I am going to take a wild stab in the dark here and guess you're just not an 'old friend' of Poppi's?"

Duke gave the man a cheeky smile. "You guess right."

Jason sighed. "How did you make it work with her man? She is just stone cold sometimes."

Starting to think he should have been writing down all the things he hadn't anticipated in order to keep up with them Duke leaned forward and thumbed his goatee. "Poppi isn't all that complicated. I learned early on that she just wants someone to love her. She isn't cold either, actually the opposite to most of the other women I've dated. Sure we were just kids back then but I doubt she has changed all that much."

Sticking a hand on his hip Jason huffed. "I guess I'm just not you then. I saw the way she looked at you and how she said your name. I try so hard to be there for her and to show her I care. It'll never be enough though." He rubbed a hand through his hair.

Duke pondered what the man was saying and what Poppi had told him about the real reason her father had told her about moving her away from Haven. Perhaps there was a chance for him and Poppi now she was back? Stranger things were happening. He could hear the bathroom taps shut off and the floorboards creak as Poppi got out of the shower. "Like I said, for Poppi it's about the love. You can flash your cash at her all you like but that's not the thing she looks for."

"And if I am not sure if I love her? We've only been seeing each other for a couple of months." The more Jason spoke to Duke he found the more and more he was unsure about the girl upstairs. Sure she was knock out gorgeous and when the mood struck her was a hilarious and fun person to be around...but was she someone Jason could see getting any further with?

"If you don't know by now, it's already answered for you." Duke was watching the man's face tick over.

"Do you love her?" Jason asked.

There was no denying it for Duke and he nodded with the most assurance about it. "I never stopped."


	3. Our Truth

Jason sat in the driver's side of his shiny green two month old Jeep tapping the steering wheel as he waited for the red light to flip back over to green. He was on his way out of Haven, a place he shouldn't have come to for a woman that wasn't his.

Before leaving he had announced to Poppi in front of Duke that he thought it would be best if they parted ways, however he still wanted to remain friends. Poppi had nodded in agreement and replied saying it was probably for the best and that he was a great guy and would find someone just as sweet to share a life with. The parting had been neither dramatic or one that left him with a feeling of closure though.

As the light flickered to green Jason felt an overwhelming sense of grief hit him liken to what one would feel over the death of someone truly cherished. Tears swelled in his eyes and poured down his cheeks.

Something wasn't right, surely this wasn't down to Poppi.

He turned the steering wheel feeling as if half of him were ripped away and slammed his foot down on the accelerator. But it wasn't him committing those actions, Jason could feel a pressure so strong it almost crushed his ankle.

"Stop! Stop! Help!" He screamed as loud as he could though no one was around to hear him cry.

But it was too late even if they had been.

Before Jason could let another crying plea for help out the Jeep slammed bonnet first into a light pole crushing the metal like it was tin foil. The force of the impact thrust him forth and the same pressure that had almost snapped his ankle as now pressing him forwards, forcing his throat against the tightened belt. He struggled and whipped his arms around wildly unable to break free of what was happening to him. Something was trying to kill him.

The flesh of his face turned a pale shade of blue.

Something had killed him

"Think Jason will be okay?" Duke asked, placing a cup of coffee in front of Poppi before sitting across the table from her with his own.

She shrugged. "I guess."

"You don't seem to be that concerned about it." He pointed out.

Poppi looked up from her cup with an irritation ticking at her features. "The reason I came back to Haven was because my dad is missing, so I think that takes priority over Jason. Jason who just left, remember that happening?" Every word she spoke was the born truth.

Duke rose a brow. "Wow I can see what he meant by you being cold. That was never like you. There was a time when you would have at least wanted to know."

"You two spoke about me?" Her fingers began to stir the teaspoon in her drink as she waited for it to cool enough to consume.

He gave her an uneasy lopsided smile. "Just a little bit."

"Listen Duke people change. I spent the rest of my teenage years in an all girls Catholic boarding school that I loathed where we were taught that everything right down to expressing an emotion was a sin. My dad sent me away from the friends I had managed to make and away from you when all I wanted was the opposite. I wanted to stay in Haven and grow up with you and have a life here with you where I could take care of my dad and whatever else. But that opportunity was taken away from me

So I apologise if those events had a hand in making me a little 'cold'." Poppi slumped back in the cafe chair and glanced out the sheet window next to them.

Duke was looking back at her with wonder. "You know your dad never said where you went to anyone."

"Vince Teagues knew where I was. He was the one who called me to tell me what had happened. As it happens dad trusted no one else to know where I was." Finally she brought the coffee to her lips and let the bitter liquid slide down her throat.

Slowly Duke nodded. "Okay well...I don't know what to say really." He huffed nervously. "The night your dad went missing Nathan brought out a stack of papers for evidence from the house and I spotted something with your name on it. So I stole it...I don't know why. It just felt wrong for someone else to be reading something written just for you." He dug around inside his coat pocket for a moment before producing an aged envelope. "Here." He slid it across the table.

Tentatively Poppi looked down at the yellowing paper and recognised her name written in her father's penmanship. "I don't understand. Why would he write this when he wouldn't even talk to me?" Again the pressure of tears stung her eyes.

"I don't know but what I do know is that it has your name on it and you should open it." Duke could only guess what was written in that envelope. There were so many skeletons hidden by the residents of Haven that it had him on alert.

A squirming in the pit of her stomach drove Poppi to pick the envelope up and slowly she opened it and pulled out three thin pieces of paper. Her eyes swept over the written words, not reading but only taking in the unquestionable fact that maybe this meant her father still did love her. She began to gently read out a loud in a whisper so Duke could hear what was written.

_To my dearest darling Poppi,_

_Today is your sixteenth birthday and I only wish I was with you to celebrate it, so if I ever grow the courage to send this to you...happy birthday. Though I suspect you wouldn't want to know me and for that I am eternally sorry. I never wanted to send you away and if I could change that fact, believe me my sweet girl I would. I would give anything to be able to go back and stop myself from sending you away._

_Those were bad times in Haven and I only wanted to protect you. When the Crocker boy came to our house after you had left and told me he wanted my blessings to openly court you, well I...I was sure I had made a mistake. But none of this is going to make any sense to you unless you know what I know and what the town of Haven knows. So enclosed in the following words are some family truths that I think you should know before something happens that leaves you in danger or worse._

Poppi looked up from the papers, her cheeks stained with tears. "I don't know if I want to read any more...you went to see my dad?"

Duke nodded. "That's when he told me he sent you away because you were scared of me. He said you had already told him about us and you were too scared to say no to me and break up with me. So that's why you needed to go away."

Gently she folded the pages closed and slipped them back into the envelope before tucking them away in her cardigan pocket. Poppi wiped her cheeks and sat forward with her face resting on the back of her clasped hands, elbows on the table. "Well we know that's not true and doesn't make a lick of sense. I am starting to think he told you that out of his own hate for your family."

"You should read the rest of what's in the letter Poppi." By now Duke had a sneaking suspicion of what was in those pages.

"Later, I don't think I am ready for that just now. I was thinking of going to see Vince Teagues today to see if he can help me look for dad." Poppi seemed to be pulling back those feelings exposed during the reading of the letter and tucking them back inside.

What school she had gone to, Duke didn't know, but it looked like it had messed her up in the emotional management department and that could prove to be dangerous. "Okay, did you want me to come with you?"

She shook her head. "No it's okay. You've got stuff to do, can't just uproot that because I fly back into town."

"Sure...I want to see you again though." And that was the truth. Duke had missed Poppi, even as he grew older he had missed her and wondered what had become of her. Though there was another reason he wanted to see her again. If she was emotionally compromised and the letters contained what he thought they might...well Duke knew he was the only one that could help Poppi manage what was about to come and turn her life inside out.

Poppi met Duke's soulful brown eyes and wasn't able to deny him that. "How about you come by the house tonight? We can go over the letter's together?"

He nodded with a small smile tugging at his lips. "I can make us some dinner?"

Nodding in reply with her own smile through the anguish written into her features. "Sounds like a plan."

Vince Teagues was a man who preferred the art of sketching over that of photography, which is adopted brother Dave Teagues preferred over sketching. And that is what he sat doing on the porch of his rickety little house when Poppi walked down the driveway.

"Hey Vince." She said announcing her presence.

He looked up from the sketch pad and spotted her standing at the foot of the four stairs leading up on top the porch. "I was wondering when you would drop by." He placed the pad and pencil aside and beckoned her to ascend into the house. "Nathan said you had been by to the station and was less than impressed. I told him that wasn't surprising and that you were right. There is something more to your father's disappearance."

Poppi looked around taking notice of the seventies decore and abundance of old relics placed in their assigned spots.

"Dave, my brother, and I were at the house the night of your father's disappearance-"

That was something Poppi had heard too many times already. "It seems that there were a lot of people were at the house that night. What am I not being told?" Again that odd irrational irritation crept into her veins.

"Who else have you spoken to?" Vince asked as he rustled around in a cardboard box sitting beside a desk adorned with an ancient typewriter.

Poppi pulled her arm over her chest and began to mindlessly thumb at her left wrist. "I spoke to Duke, he said he was there too. He gave me a letter my dad had written to me on my sixteenth birthday but had never sent it."

"Did you read the letter?" The sudden confession of a letter sparked his interest severely.

"Only part of it, Duke and I are going to go through the rest of it tonight. So why were so many people there that night? Nathan said that nothing out of the ordinary had happened." Something defiantly felt off at that moment.

Vince hummed to himself. "That's not totally true. I didn't want to say anything when you got here and I don't want to say anything now until you've at least read the letter. I just hope Duke can explain everything to you well enough to be understood, you've been away from Haven for so long." He sighed. "But still you should know...the night of your father's disappearance the thing that drew us all there...well...we saw a dark cloud forming above the house. It wasn't anywhere else in the sky to be seen, only over your father's house. None of us knew what it meant though."

Poppi didn't understand and she took a step back as the reply settled around her. None of this was making sense. "A dark cloud? What dark cloud? Like a storm cloud?" Her mind was trying it's best to process the information and make some kind of sense of it.

"We all helped to look for your father...Duke even went out on his boat in case your father had fled by water. But we found nothing what so ever. That night was a mystery to us all, but I did find this and it only seemed right to store it away for when you would return." He handed her a thick folder bound in twine and stamped 'Private'. "It's probably something that you should look over before reading the letters. I am sorry there is nothing more I can give you child."

Reaching out Poppi slowly nodded still confused and took the folder. "It's okay Vince." She tucked it under her arm. "If you can think of anything else...let me know." Stepping back Poppi turned away from the house.

What in the hell was going on in Haven?


	4. Same Old Same Old

Same Old Same Old

The smell of herbs and spices perfumed the entire kitchen and wafted through the big old Amber house that had been in the family for countless generations. Duke placed two plates on the dining table. "I guessed you still don't eat red meat."

Poppi leaned against the kitchen entrance. "You guessed right." She was out of her usual floral dress pattern and cardigan and into a pair of pyjama pants and a tank top with a high back. Her arms were folded over her chest and Duke noticed another tattoo on her upper right arm.

"It's a Viking warrior." She noticed him staring. "Got her in Boston a few years ago."

"And the one on your thigh?" He glanced at her with a cheeky chuckle.

She blushed. "You noticed that huh?"

"Yes ma'am." He replied turning to check on the roasting dish in the oven.

She eyed him up and down as Duke went about his cooking duties. "I went to see Vince today like I said. He gave me a folder and told me what happened the night my dad went missing." Poppi began to prod at the new information.

Duke shut the oven door and turned with uncertainty. "Uh yea...that was a strange night."

"He said that I wouldn't understand until I read the letters and checked out what was in the folder and that hopefully you'd be able to shed a little light on whatever information I do find." Turning away from the kitchen Poppi made her way into the lounge room and took a spot on the far end of the lounge.

Duke followed suite and took the spot next to her, leaning over to lift her legs onto his lap. "Haven is a different place and has changed a lot since you left." His fingers began to rub little circles into the soles of her feet.

She sighed into the movements Poppi let herself relax and closed her eyes. "What is going on Duke? Nothing has made sense since I turned up here."

Duke knew the truth and exactly how to answer her, but it wasn't his place to break it to her. "You know most of the answers you want will be in those letters." Stopping for a moment he leaned over to the side table and picked up the envelope and dropped it in her lap. "Read it." His voice was gentle as he pressed Poppi to open the envelope once more.

Again she opened it and withdrew the pages and turned to the second one.

_Your mother was an exceptional beauty, but that wasn't what I first noticed about her. The thing that drew me to her was her fiery personality, that I hope one day you inherit. Lily was witty with a quick silver tongue, however under her guise she was a woman full of warmth and love to give. But she had her troubles...everyone in Haven seems to have them._

_Haven is a special town my dear and if you ever come back here I beg you to stay for your safety. I did all I could to protect you from erasing what you did to sending you away. There is so much history and I only fear that you read this and think it to be nonsense. Please I implore you to pay attention because it is nothing but the truth._

_The first time I saw you mother's troubles was not long after we began dating, but she was able to control it. They call it pyrokinesis. This meant my Lily had the psychic ability allowing her to create and control fire with their mind. This is the part I fear you will find to be lies. You have inherited your mother's trouble and it's the reason I sent you away._

_It was a dangerous time for your trouble to surface...  
><em>

Poppi dropped the letter and darted her feet away from Duke, sitting up as if a bolt of lightening had struck her. The letters dropped to the floor as she rose from the couch. Her skin was covered in a thin coat of sweat.

"Poppi..." Duke had been listening like in the cafe, his fears confirmed.

"I don't know what any of that means but I know it's not a lie." She trembled as her eyes rested upon the fireplace. "I have been staring at this thing since getting back trying to remember something it's been triggering in my memory but until reading that I couldn't remember what it was..." She looked to Duke, her voice shook as much as her hands did.

Slowly Duke stood and came to her side cupping a hand under her chin. "Take a deep breath in Poppi, I'm right here. You need to finish reading the letters."

A knock at the door interrupted the idea of that. "Poppi, it's Nathan."

Wiping a hand down her face she squeezed her eyes shut. "The fireplace...I can remember sitting in front of it one night after dad went to bed and after putting the flames out. I was just looking at it and thinking about mom. Wishing she was there with me, with us. I wanted to know her, I wanted a mom so badly. And...and the next thing I know a burst of fire flew out of the fireplace. It engulfed my entire body but...but not a single part of me was burnt." Her heart began to race and her pulse quicken. Poppi opened her eyes to see Duke staring into her face.

"You inherited your mother's Troubles and thinking of her must have activated them." Duke was now holding her by her shoulders. "Take that deep breath in. Look at me and breath in deep, can you do that for me?"

Even as panic rushed at her Poppi nodded. The memory she'd been trying so hard to uncover had just had it's lid blown off and was coming full force at her. The smell of the flames surrounding her and the vision of the flames licking at her skin were racing through her memory.

"Poppi are you okay in there?" Nathan was still at the door.

"I...I..." The sensation of warm dripping liquid began to slither around Poppi. "Duke..."

"You need to think about something else. Tell me where you live now? What do you do? Do you have any pets? You can do this Poppi." Duke could feel her skin prickling.

"New York, I live in New York. In an apartment and I work as...as an editor for a publishing house. I don't have pets, but I really want a puppy...a French Bulldog puppy." The more she spoke about her life Poppi found that the liquid rush of heat began to whither away until finally it had died away back inside her. "I feel sick."

Duke wrapped his arms around Poppi and gently placed her upon the lounge chair. "It's okay, you did really well." He smiled down at her reassuringly. "I'm going to let Nathan in and get you some water. Just stay calm and keep telling me about yourself." He touched the side of her face before jogging to answer Nathan.

"Duke!" Nathan snapped.

"Sssh!" He leaned in towards Nathan. "Keep calm...Poppi, she's got the troubles." He whispered

Nathan's eyes went wide but he nodded before entering. "Do you know what kind of trouble?"

"The same as her mom." Both the men knew what really happened to Poppi's mom and it wasn't the car crash that she had been lead to believe.

Duke looked over his shoulder as Poppi picked at parts of her life to concentrate on.

"There's a really good restaurant down the road from me..."

"Keep talking Poppi, I want to know everything. How did you get that editors job? It sounds right up your alley." He turned back to Nathan. "Why are you here? Has something else happened with Thomson?"

He shook his head. "No. We found the body of a Jason Lester today out by the road leading away from Haven and when we checked his belongings we found he knew Poppi. Can you confirm this?"

"Jeesh, um yea. Up until this morning they had been dating but Jason called it quits with her. We can't tell her though she almost exploded a few minutes ago. The girl has no clue how to deal with her emotions and that means she can't control her trouble." Duke was thinking as fast as he could. "What happened to him?"

"Car accident it looks like, but there is evidence pointing to foul play." Nathan glanced around Duke's shoulder and spotted Poppi staring at them. Her eyes were puffy and red from tears and she had a jaded expression over her lovely face. "How are you Poppi?"

Duke looked back. "Nathan just dropped by-"

"I heard...Jason is dead. Car accident. Does this mean I need to I.D the body?" She was blunt, her head was filled to the brim with awful that this was news to put into the pile. "Don't worry I'm not gonna go suer nova on you boys, frankly that little episode has worn me out."

"Better come in." Duke closed the door behind Nathan and went to get that glass of water before returning to Poppi's side on the couch handing her the glass. He felt protective of her and it was showing as he sat on the spot next to her as close as he could.

Poppi could feel Duke's chest pressing against her back, it was tense and it rippled through her. "What did you mean by foul play Nathan?" The glass was chilly in her hand and she squeezed it a little tighter.

"Has Duke explained what's happening to you?" He asked standing unsure of he should be telling Poppi what had happened at that moment.

"He will. What happened to Jason?"

He sucked in a deep breath before exhaling. "We found evidence of strangulation on the body."

The room was quiet for a minute before Poppi nodded. "I understand. Will nine o'clock tomorrow be fine?"

Nathan stopped before replying. "Do you understand what I have just told you Poppi?" The lack of response from the woman worried him.

"I do, like I said I am just wiped out." Unconsciously Poppi began to lean back into Duke's chest. "I am just going to go to bed."

Nathan took his leave with a cautious glance to Duke.

"Come on let's get you into bed." Duke began to move Poppi from the couch.

"What are the troubles?" She asked.

Duke walked her up the stairs stopping at the guest room and lead her in. "The troubles are afflictions dating back the founding families of Haven. Most of them are in the bloodline, like yours is. In which case they can be triggered at an sign of emotional distress."

"Do you have a trouble?" Poppi yawned before sitting in the spot Duke had turned down the covers near.

He nodded. "The family curse."

"Think that's why dad hated you all so much?" By now she was already closing her eyes with head nestled into the pillow.

Duke knew it was exactly why. "I don't know Poppi."

With that he saw the little red haired woman had already drifted off to sleep. With a warm smile to himself Duke leant down and gently kissed her on the cheek before settling onto a spot on the floor next to her side of the bed. There was part of him that was worried the fate of her mother was going to befall Poppi and Duke was going to make sure that wouldn't happen.


	5. Ashes and Dust

Dwight Hendrickson received another package on his doorstep early that morning. He looked around as he always did before bringing it inside and brushed the side of his face with his paw of a hand. Dwight was a formidable looking kind of guy with broad shoulders and arms that could carry a hefty weight.

Setting it upon the kitchen table before opening it, he knew what it would be. Another name. Another person suffering from a trouble.

Another person to he would have to bring to Haven.

Dwight flipped through the folder containing the information he needed to know before coming to stop at the assigned photo. It was of a ginger haired woman with freckles across her nose and cheeks.

The name above it read: Poppi Amber.

He tucked the photo into the pocket of his worm jeans before glancing back at the lined paper containing the whereabouts of this Poppi Amber. Dwight wrinkled his forehead. "She's already in Haven..."

* * *

"Are you sure you want to so this? You were pretty out of it last night when you said you would." Duke was fussing around Poppi as she pulled on a long black knitted cardigan over an aged cream coloured floral dress.

"Who else is going to do it? His parents are in the UK and his sister is in San Diego. I am the only one who can I.D his body." Poppi tugged on her boots and smoothed down her hair. "Will you come with me though?" She looked at him while chewing on her bottom lip. "I want to read the rest of the letters and check what Vince gave me...but after last night I am worried about burning this place down if I am alone. You seemed to know what you were doing last night." Poppi still didn't really understand what these troubles were or what was happening with her, the only thing she had were written words and that ferociously intense memory.

"yea sure. But could we swing by the boat after? I mean I have-"

"If you have stuff to do today you can go do that. I will be fine, sure I am just worrying about nothing." Snapping on a wide but obviously fake smile Poppi grabbed for her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Truth be told Poppi was close to being petrified of herself and was even more afraid that without Duke being close she would explode.

"I didn't say that." He reached out a hand and rubbed her shoulder. "I have to check on an export coming in is all. I am not going to just up and leave you to it. I know you're scared." That hand moved to the side of her face. "I told you last night that I am here, right here." Duke looked down at her with a soft smile in his kind eyes.

Instantly Poppi felt like she was that fourteen year old girl again who was head over heels mad for the Crocker bad boy who was showing such humility towards her. "Okay." Her hand rested on his for a moment before she pulled away. "I guess you'd be more comfortable on your boat than the bedroom floor any ways. Such a gentleman."

Duke chuckled at her. "Come on, Nathan is a stickler for timing."

It didn't take the duo long to walk to the town morgue and on the way they took the chance to relive the old days. Remembering all the embarrassing stuff and all the sweet things.

"Do you remember that time you wrote me that poem? I know that you do because it was your first and only attempt at one." Poppi giggled as she turned to walk backwards on the side walk just to see Duke blush.

He laughed with a huff of embarrassment. "Oh I surely do remember that."

"How did it go? Um...There's a reason why I love you. When I watch you do some of the things you do, it takes my breath away. The way you smile so naturally...ummm..."

Duke thumbed the side of his goatee and as he felt the blush in his cheeks deepen he dipped his eyes to the concrete under foot. "There's a reason why I love you. When I watch you do some of the things you do, it takes my breath away. The way you smile so naturally, the way you get lost in the beauty of everything around you and the giving spirit of your soul. Everything that makes you whole is the reason why I love you. It seems like the sun can't shine its brightest without you, nor can the rain shower the world with its healing power unless you're in it. Your spirit is so comely it makes everything seem more beautiful and when I watch you blend with your surroundings it takes my breath away. There's a reason why I love you and that reason is because you're you."

Poppi's pace slowed and her smile broadened into something struck with adoration. "I still have that tucked away at home. When I get sad I read it but it's better to hear you say it."

Neither of them had noticed their footsteps stop as they closed the distance between one another. They were looking to one another the way they used to in those stolen hours away from prying eyes. "I didn't stop feeling that way about you Poppi."

"Dammit Duke Crocker there you go sweeping me off my feet again." Poppi stretched up on the tip of her toes and could feel Duke's breath sweep over her lips.

"Are you Poppi Amber?"

Her brow rose as she looked at Duke who's eyes had darted to the voice behind her. "Dwight, no. You leave her alone." He pushed himself in front of Poppi keeping her behind him with a hand firmly placed over her stomach. "She's already in Haven."

"And she needs to stay." Dwight looked over Duke's shoulder.

Poppi found herself looking back at a man just as tall as Duke and to her he was menacing. "What do you mean I have to stay?"

"Poppi don't talk to him." Duke warned her before changing to a snarl. "Stay away from Poppi Dwight. Don't go looking for her. She's here so there is no job for you!" The aggression Duke was displaying bounced off Poppi.

She stepped back feeling the same bout of animosity ripple trough her. "Duke stop it." Her skin began to sweat and that hot liquid feeling she'd felt the night before was making it's way through her fingers again.

Both the men had turned to face her, Duke spread his hands out in front of her. "Poppi, it's okay-"

"Duke...this is you. I can feel what you're feeling." A weakness hit her knees and they buckled.

Duke raced forward to catch her before she fell. "You felt me?"

Her head rested in his chest. "When you touched me I could feel that ball of hostility growing in my stomach and I knew it belonged to you."

Dwight stepped over and crouched down next to Poppi, he looked to Duke. "This is why she needs to stay here. Poppi do you know what's going on?"

"The troubles right? My mother's." Taking in the deep breaths Poppi began to think about that puppy she wanted, following the same pattern Duke had paced her through the night before.

Duke felt her hands tremble in his. "She doesn't know how to control it yet."

"Are you aware of what happens to a child born to both parents suffering from the troubles?" Asked Dwight carefully watching Poppi as she buried her head deeper into Duke's shoulder.

"Poppi what are you thinking about?" Duke ignored Dwight focusing on Poppi. "Tell me."

She bit down hard on her lip, so hard it drew blood. Poppi pulled back from Duke and as she did the blood from her lip brushed against his cheek. "Oh." Raising a finger she went to wipe it away when Dwight wrapped a large hand around her wrist and tugged her away from Duke.

"Get her away from me!" He shouted hiding his face as he felt the colour sink away from his eyes and that ball of rage burst open in a way that made him want to annihilate any one close enough with the power of army. This was his trouble. Blood from another troubled person made him this way.

Poppi stumbled behind Dwight and her backside hit the side walk and as it did her eyes came to land on Duke. He rose with a fist balled up so tight his knuckles might have burst through the skin. "Duke stop!" She screamed as his fist connected with Dwight.

Her scream caught his attention as Dwight took the hit and stumbled back. Duke advanced on her and she called out to him again but this time she was warning him. Fear and adrenaline pumped through her body at the sight of his face. Those colourless eyes weren't the soulful ones she knew and his face was twisted into vehemence.  
>With one last warning Poppi was unable to hold back to wanting molten lava bubbling under her skin and finally it unleashed itself in a growl of flame that surrounded her. Quickly she scrabbled to her feet and turned to run but it was too late.<p>

Duke latched onto her through the flames and the next thing that happened was the oddest thing Dwight had witnessed. It seemed that as Duke touched Poppi her flames extinguished and the trouble that cursed him evaporated.

He dropped his hands and stumbled back. "I was going to hurt you." Duke's hands covered his mouth. "I'm so sorry."

The little display had brought the Haven PD running, Nathan at the front of the pack.

"It's okay." Dwight held his hands up as the white flag. "It's okay."

Poppi was looking down at her hands. "You touched me and I stopped." Her eyes snapped to his hands which were unburnt. "You didn't get hurt and you stopped too."

"I did?" He looked at her as he pushed his hands through his hair. She was right. "I did. We did. We stopped when I touched you. But how?"

"Like I asked, do you know what happens when a child is born to both parents suffering from the troubles?" Dwight weighed back into the conversation.

"There hasn't been one before." Duke answered cautiously taking place beside Poppi again and still wary of Dwight.

He looked at Poppi. "Well now there is and it seems she has both her parents troubles."

* * *

The body had been identified and Poppi was now sitting with her head in her hands at the station while Dwight explained to both her, Duke and Nathan what had turned up on his doorstep.  
>"I read the files over and over, there is no error. Poppi is the first person we know of who has had both parents with the troubles. The pyrokinesis comes for you mother, we know that but the connection to Duke's feelings you displayed out there...that is inherited from your father."<p>

Dwight wasn't sure how much Poppi was taking in but he continued to explain as simply as he could. "Haven has records of every resident to ever have a trouble and it's cause. What your father had was inherited by his mother, Audrey Mia Amber. I looked into his file a little more and found that due to the lack of love and care he received as a young child, when he met your mother his trouble activated causing him to make that same connection to her and eventually her to him. Anyone he had ever loved felt that in immense amounts and the feeling would be reciprocated.

So the connection you have with Duke seems to have activated that trouble in you and I think when he touched you the collision of emotions rippling through you both stopped your troubles from harming one another.

Sometimes we see this in couples where their troubles match."

Duke was sitting on the edge of his seat as he listened. "So you're saying what? That Poppi has a one way line to my feelings?"

Nodding Dwight sat back in his chair. "And soon enough you'll develop a connection to hers."

"This is too much. Way too much. I came here to find my dad and this is what I get." She raised her head and bore down on Dwight. "I get cursed by this town. Well you know what? I am going to find my dad and then I am leaving!" With that Poppi tore out of her seat and stomped out of the station.

"Poppi!" Duke went to leave after her but Nathan stopped him.

"Give her some space Duke, she has just fallen into something she knows she can't escape. Poppi needs to breath." Nathan looked back over his shoulder. "I will drop by later tonight on my way home to check on her."

Duke was feeling defeated in that moment and as mush as he didn't want to admit it maybe Nathan was right. He nodded. "Okay, tell her I will be back in a few days. I need to get a shipment out." Slowly he rose from the chair and began to walk away from the station. His head was over flowing with thoughts from old to new. He had activated a trouble neither of them knew she had...no one had two troubles. What happened to a person with two?  
>His thoughts began to turn dark...maybe the reason no one had heard of a twice troubled person was because they were unable to handle the pressure. Maybe the only reason Poppi was still around was because she'd been away from Haven and away from her triggers.<p>

A sigh issued from his chest as he began to board the Cape Rouge. A few days away from him might do her a world of good, but that didn't do anything to hush how overly protective of her he felt.


	6. The Dissolving Girl Pt1

The following two days Poppi spent shut away in the Amber house pouring over her father's letters that only repeated the same things Dwight had told her at the station. Her father's trouble was her trouble triggered by Duke. Her mother's trouble was her trouble triggered by the memory of the first time that trouble had been activated. Her head was shattered and boy weary. but finally Poppi had some kind of grasp on what was happening to her, what the troubles were and the unmistakable fact that Dwight was right.

She would never be able to leave Haven.

The folder Vince had given to her was still sitting on the end of the bed as she came back in from a shower determined to leave the house at least for a few hours. "Well it can't get any worse than what I know now." With nimble fingers Poppi slid the folder into her lap and began to gently open it to find pages and pages stapled together in a format resembling the chapters in a book.

Her father had put together a sort of family tree inside that folder for Poppi to one day find. There were mini volumes of text going right back to the founding families of Haven, her's being one of the first to settle there. Quickly she found herself wrapped up in the pages that her dad had spent so long acquiring and sorting. There were lists of family names she didn't recognise with titles that were highly esteemed in the town. One of them had even built the town hall with a few of the names she did know.  
>As her hands flipped page through page she finally came across a certificate and pulled it from the pile before setting the folder aside to let it sit alone in her lap.<p>

"Mom..." She whispered to herself.

Poppi's eyes carefully scanned down the page, a certificate of death authenticated by the town of Haven itself. The text was reading something very differently to what her dad had tol her about her mother's death. A breath caught in Poppi's throat.

"The body was found to be badly burnt..."

A cold stone dropped deep in her gut. Weakly she moved the paper back into the pile and sat collecting herself. Her mother had died from her trouble? How? Why weren't people speaking up? She pinched the bridge of her nose feeling the stress and confusion building inside her brain. What else was there to know? It seemed the more Poppi found out the less of it made sense.

Her head fell into her hands and she wept long and hard alone in that big house with no one around to answer her questions.

A few hours had passed before a rapid succession of heavy knocks on the wooden front door roused Poppi from a sleep she hadn't known she'd fallen into. Squinting her eyes from the afternoon sun filtering through the curtains she quickly slid from the bed and threw on the closet clothes she could find which were a pair of boyshort knickers and a baggy button down green shirt she didn't remember being hers.

"Coming." She called bounding down the steps before opening the door.

"Oh..." It was Dwight and he was blushing at the sight of Poppi in little to no clothing. "Umm I will just wait here until you get dressed."

"Oh gosh sorry, no come in and I will be right down."

Dwight sheepishly closed the door behind him, keeping his eyes averted as Poppi made her way up the stairs.

He didn't have to wait to wait long for her to come back down dressed in her trademark floral dress and knitted cardigan, feet bare however. "If you're here to tell me again that I have to stay in Haven you don't have to. I pretty much know there is no where else I can go now with these troubles."

There was a flicker of relief in his eyes. "That's good but it's not why I am here. I think I might have found something to help find your father."

Her eyes lit up. "What did you find?" She closed the distance between them like an excited wide eyes cat would on something of interest.

"It might be nothing, but I went digging through the evidence boxes Nathan had brought back from here that night and I found your dad's journal. I know you probably don't want to know any more than you do right now and that you've had enough surprises so just flip to the last page." Dwight handed her a little black leather book.

"At this rate I will have the whole evidence locker in possession." he scurried to the last page. "Are these co-ordinates? Nathan went out that night on the boat though and didn't find anything." She was looking at Dwight not knowing what to do with the digits looking at her.

"These are pretty far out so I doubt he went out that far, there would have been no reason to if your dad had left by boat." He rested his hands on his hips and glanced back down at the page. "Something might be out there."

Poppi nodded. "Duke should be back in a few days Nathan said. We can go look when he does." She sucked in a sharp breath as her mind jumped back a few hours. "Dwight you seem to know a lot about the troubles, Nathan mentioned the other night that it was your job to find people with troubles and bring them to Haven."

He nodded. "That's correct. I know a bit about everyone here."

She began to rock back and forth on the balls of her feet nervously. "Would you know what really happen d to my mother? I have her death certificate and it says she died by her trouble? How could something like that happen?"

"Ah." He ran a hand over his hair. "Poppi sometimes people's troubles can get away from them and can end up hurting them or the people around them. I know about your mother's case but I think it's something you're better off talking to Vince about...he was one of the witnesses."

Her face dropped. "There is so much I don't know that's been kept hidden in the dark. In the letters dad said she had control over her trouble...what if what happened to her, well what if it happens to me? I don't nearly have that kind of control over my emotional state."

Dwight was looking down at this young woman with such pity. "You've done okay so far and you've got Duke to help you and from what I can see that's working."

"And what happens when comes the day I don't have him? I have to know what really happened so I can stop it happening to me."

"If you like I can run you over to see Vince?" He offered knowing Poppi was right. Everyone needed a sense of self control and the sooner she learnt to harness her troubles by herself the safer she would be. "It won't be any problem."

She nodded. "Thanks Dwight."

* * *

The sun was beginning to set over Haven by the time Vince was ready to talk about Lily's death. "It was horrible." He sat on the porch in his old wooden chair while Poppi sat with her legs crossed in front of him watching intently and listening even more sharply. "It was just after breakfast at the cafe when I noticed Thomson chasing Lily down the middle of the road. His voice was raised as he shouted after her. She was crying and telling him to leave her alone.

At the time no one knew what was going on but slowly they began to gather as Lily slowed to face your father. And then it came out, the truth of it. Lily had fallen in love with Simon Crocker, as dangerous as he was. This broke your father's heart to the point where he had lost total control of his troubles.

The emotional connection between Thomson and Lily lead your mother to in turn lose her own grip on her troubles as well. I guess the anguish she could feel from Thomson over took her and the flames that were her own creation took her.

If I remember right you were being babysat by Nathan's father at the time, your mother was supposed to have been out buying drinks for a picnic. People said they Thomson had found Lily in the arms of Simon Crocker."

"I...I have to go." Poppi didn't want to hear what she had heard and fled from Vince's presence.

"That poor poor girl." Vince mumbled to himself.

* * *

Dwight was sitting in the back of his pick up truck closing the lid on his toolbox when he looked up to see a frantic Poppi racing down the street.

"Whoa, whoa Poppi!" He jumped from the truck in time to catch the woman by her arm and bring her around. Her cheeks were red and eyes burning red from tears. "What happened?"

"I...I spoke to Vince and, and...oh god Dwight. My mother is dead because of my dad, his trouble killed her." With that omission Poppi could no longer hold herself up and her knees buckled under the weight of it all. Years in the boarding school practising the art of pushing away the sin of emotion hadn't prepared her for all the skeleton's she'd uncovered.

Catching her Dwight slowly sank to the ground with her sobbing loudly into his shoulder, he didn't know what to do. "Is that was Vince told you?"

She nodded through her tears. "My mom was in love with Duke's father and he found them together."

Dwight could put the rest of the pieces together for himself and began to pat her back in the way a father would do to console a child. "I'm sorry Poppi."

Trying her hardest Poppi couldn't stop the overwhelming tears that choked her and in Dwight's arms she allowed herself to feel every little thing that had bulked down on her. From her father's disappearance, to the troubles and even Jason dying. It all was crumbling down on top of her. Her hands clung to Dwight's shirt.

"I don't...I don't know who I am any more." Se began to confess through tears.

Holding her tight Dwight could sympathise. "I know how that feels to feel so lost you no longer recognise yourself. I can tell you that you will get past this."

Poppi began to pull back, Dwight wiping the tears from her cheeks. "It doesn't feel like it. I feel like a freak." She batted back hair stuck to her cheeks. "Part of me wishes that I had missed Vince's call." Gulping down another onslaught of tears she blew out a long breath she wasn't aware she was holding in.

"You're not a freak. Let's get you home. Duke will probably be back tomorrow and we can go look for those co-ordinates." He gave her a reassuring look before bundling her into the passenger side of his truck.

* * *

Duke wasn't sure what he was going to be walking into the next afternoon after Dwight had stopped him at the docks to tell him about what Poppi had found out from Vince.

He was nervous as he put away the pick lock tools into his back pocket. "Poppi?" There was no answer. He looked around the downstairs level before quietly making his way to the upper floor.

There he found her curled up on the edge of the guest bed fast sleep, to her right on the floor were the papers Vince had given her and beyond that was an old leather book with the initial T. Amber scribed across the front in bronze. As he stood in the doorway watching the only child of the Amber's sleep he noticed she was wearing the button down green shirt he had left behind after taking the floor to sleep.  
>The sight of her in his shirt sent a gentle tingling sensation through his chest and he smiled to himself. Still smelling like the sea he removed his boots and shirt till just his jeans and wife-beater remained. Neatly he folded them into the corner and crossed the room to move under the covers next to her.<p>

Poppi felt the bed shift under a weight next to her, but she didn't have to open her eyes to know it was Duke, the simple feeling of the way his heart beat for her let her know that it was him. Still with those green eyes shut she rolled over and curled into his embrace before falling back asleep.

The gesture made Duke look down at her before wrapping an arm around Poppi's shoulders. He placed a kiss atop her head and eventually began to drift.

* * *

"Gonna be a tight squeeze but we can manage it." Duke replied with lashings of sarcasm as Dwight and Nathan boarded the boat. Poppi was already sitting crossed legged on a wooden box looking as far over the edge as she could.

"Do we know what's out there?" Nathan asked glancing towards Poppi. "And is she okay?"

Duke looked over his shoulder to see her rake a hand through her hair and drop her head. "Not really, but she'll make it. And no, no idea what's out there if I am honest. It's a part I haven't been past before."

Dwight took note of the conversation but made a point to extract himself to make way over to Poppi. "How you feeling today?"

She looked up at him. "I don't know if I am honest." Poppi shifted over to make room for Dwight. "I guess...a little jaded, kind of empty. I spent most of the day with Duke, he got back a few hours ago and have just been playing with that connection. He feels good and kind. That makes me feel something other than dread I guess."

"You know we have no clue what we're going to find out there..." He began to make a point but Poppi waved her hand.

"I will try not to burn anything down. It's okay, I thought of that already. I have been sitting here thinking of what could be out there...maybe a body or just more questions."

His lips pressed into a line. "At least you're not alone."

Poppi looked to Duke and Nathan before back to him. "Not now any ways."

"Are we ready lady and gentlemen?" Duke announced before dipping to steering bay of the Cape Rouge.

"Let's just get going already Duke." Nathan rolled his eyes with irritation to which Duke smirked.

"It's going to be a long few hours with these two." Dwight pointed you.

Poppi chuckled. "You've no idea." She watched Duke do what he did inside that little steering room. His face had dropped the humour and was concentrating on the journey ahead of them now. Part of her began to ponder the idea of picking up where they had so abruptly left off years ago. "Do you think that what happened to my parents would happen to me?"

Dwight followed her eye line and he sat back. "You mean to you and Duke? I don't know but I would wager not. Nathan filled me in on your history with Crocker and if what I saw happen between your troubles is anything to go by, I would almost say you were a matching pair. There are some troubles that just compliment one another. In time Duke is going to be open to your emotions like I said and when he is I think you'll find that you will have something solid." He wanted to ask Poppi if she really knew about the Crocker's and the true affliction of Duke's trouble however decided that was a conversation best to another time when Duke wanted to tell her.

"Staying in Haven might not be so bad after all then."

Duke stole a moment to glance over at Poppi as she spoke to Dwight, about what? He didn't know but as he watched her the more he could see her begin to settle with the people around her. Haven was her real home but Duke wasn't going to force it on her, if Poppi wanted to stay she would and if she didn't that was a fork in the road he would come to later.

"What are you kids whispering about over here?" Nathan made his way over to Dwight and Poppi.

"Stuff and things." She replied. "So when we get there I guess that's when we make a what-to-do-next plan?"

Nathan nodded. "That's the idea seeing as not even out Captain knows what's out there." The reference was a sarcastic stab at Duke.

"I heard that Nathan."

"You were meant to." Replied to Detective.

"You both bicker like an old married couple these days more than anything." Poppi joked before getting up and making her way into the steering bay.

"Remember the last time we were on this thing?" Duke didn't have to look over at Poppi to know there was the smallest smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah you do."

"Your dad would have skinned the both of us if he'd found us in that fireworks box." She leant against a spare space behind Duke looking out the windshield. By now Poppi was aware Dwight had informed Duke of the truth Vince had told her.

"That won't happen to us." Duke said thinking the same thing as she.

"I hope not, that would certainly put a dent in my plans to stay in Haven." Her eyes were looking at her boots as she mentioned that to Duke.

"Oh so you're staying?" He said casually but with a smile that said he wanted to turn and grab her up in a swinging hug. "Good to know."

She nodded unable to hold back her smile. "Makes sense. House is going to need an overhaul though. I don't want to start back here in a place filled with so many false memories."

"And your job?"

"I can edit from Haven via correspondence, there are a lot of editors but none of them as good as I am." She said the last words with smug satisfaction. "It might been a few trips away from Haven a year but that's okay." Amongst the mess things were strangely starting to feel like they would come together in the end. There were still things that needed to be answered, maybe it was just the sway of the fresh open waters making her head feel lighter.

Duke was practically whooping in the inside but careful to maintain a cool face as he steered the boat across the waters. "Being the first to offer my services with the renovations."

"Doing the heavy lifting? Hrm I think I could get used to you doing that." Poppi was well aware of just how good Duke looked in a wife-beater and was keen to add the lifting of heavy furniture into that mix.

"Cheeky." He smirked.


	7. The Dissolving Girl Pt2

An ominous thick mist rolled over the inky black waters as Duke drifted the Cape Rouge into dock. "This is it."

Dwight was in the steering bay with him and squinted past the windshield. "Looks like woodland area. But out here? That doesn't seem right."

Duke felt just as uneasy. "This is where the co-ordinates have led us."

From below where Poppi sat curled up on Duke's bed reading one of the old pirate novels he had in the side drawer, she could sense the distinct feeling of his apprehension jitter around in her stomach. Removing herself from the bed she climbed the steps that lead up to the steering cabin. "Are you okay?" She asked with concern before guiding her eyes to where Duke and Dwight were staring. "Oh...well that is strange."

Quietly Poppi moved out of the bay and into the deck joining Nathan. He registered her next to him. "This isn't creepy at all." He said.

Not knowing what to make of the dense woodland that peeked at them through the thick mist Poppi nodded. "I...ahh!" She yelped grabbing hold of her stomach suddenly crippled with a sharp ringing ache.

"What is it?" Nathan reacted to her yelp.

Poppi was doubled over with her knees beginning to cramp. "I...I don't know." She huffed.

Duke had seen her reaction from the bay and was at her side in a flash. "Poppi what's happening?" He grabbed a hold of her shoulders and pulled her close to him.

She panted with hard breathes. "It feels like someone just stabbed me in the stomach." Using Duke's arms as leverage she forced herself up straight. "Damn." Poppi hissed as she still hold of her stomach. "It was exactly like someone was attacking me and kept stabbing me. It's going now but..." She could feel something else creeping upon her and smothering her with a hallowing heartbreak. "Something bad happened here, I can feel it. Literally I can feel someone's sorrow. It feels like-" Poppi's blood froze. "It's my dad!"

Pulling away from Duke, Poppi took a run and shot off the boat into the mist.

"Poppi come back!" Duke shouted taking chase after her leaving Nathan Dwight to follow.

The simple wooden dock ended just before the line of woods and coming to a stumbling stop Poppi caught herself before toppling over the edge.

"Don't do that again!" Duke stopped with a huff behind her. "This is a place that shouldn't exist we need to stay close together."

"But I can feel him, I can feel my dad and he is in so much agony." Her hand clamped her chest. "Come on." She waved Duke to follow as she jumped off the dock to land in waist height water.

"Dammit." Duke cursed again following Poppi into the unknown before them. He checked over his shoulder for Dwight and Nathan who strangely were no where to be seen. "Are you guys coming?"

No Answer.

"Just wait a minute Poppi." Looking to his front Duke found there was no Poppi. "What...the...hell?" Slowly he kept walking forward till he hit the tree line. "Poppi? Dwight? Nathan?" He called around him to no avail.

"Duke?" Poppi could hear him but as she whipped around all she could see were thick old trees stunting her vision. "Can you hear me?" She waited for a reply only to get nothing. Her dress was soaked to the waist and the cardigan was too heavy with water. Peeling the woollen item off she used the arms to tie it around a low hanging branch. "He will I know I was here at least" And with that she kept moving forward.  
>Small branches whipped against her cheeks, one even biting into her skin but that wasn't going to stop her from following the dark feeling she was surrounded by. It only made sense that sharing her father's trouble would lead her to him. He had to be there after all, she knew it was him even though she couldn't explain how.<p>

"Ahoi hoi." A voice was up ahead.

Chills ran down Poppi's spine. "Ahoi hoi?" She replied back.

"You look lost. Are you lost?"

Taking in a long breath that filled her lungs Poppi exhaled. "I am." The voice was unmistakable. "Could you help me?"

A small figure began to materialise in the mist before her with red hair and green eyes. "Are you looking for daddy?"

Poppi nodded. "Yes Poppi, I am."

* * *

"Duke?" Dwight called into the mist floating around Nathan and himself. He turned hearing a twig snap.

"Dwight?" It was Duke.

"Follow the sound of my voice Duke. Where's Poppi?" Asked Dwight.

"I don't know we got separated." He replied. "Hold on I can see you." Trough the thick fog he was able to see both Dwight and Nathan.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Nathan asked rankly as Duke came into view and was soon in front of them.

He wrapped his grandpa cardigan around him. "I mean I don't know. She went ahead of me and when I looked back to find where you both were she was gone. I called out to her but she didn't reply." Again he looked over his shoulder to see nothing but dense woodland.

"Alright, let's stay calm." Dwight was alert to each noise through the many sounds vibrating around them. "She said she could feel her father, her trouble seems to have amplified itself being so close to him. So at least we know Thomson is here." He rubbed his chin in thought. "Duke can you feel anything from Poppi?"

"Uhh." He took a second to search his insides and shook his head in frustration. "Nothing."

"And if he did?" Asked Nathan.

"If he did that could lead us to Poppi like what Poppi is feeling from Thomson is leading her to him."

Nathan nodded. "So now what?"

"We look for her." Answered Duke. "But stay close. I get the feeling we aren't alone."

* * *

Little Poppi was no older than six as she seemed to glide effortlessly as Poppi followed her thwacking back branches and bushes that scraped her legs. "You shouldn't have come here."

"Oh yea? And why's that?" Talking to her child self was the least weird thing Poppi had done but never the less it was unnerving.

"This place is cursed, it's bad. Daddy says no one should be here." Her green eyes were bright as she looked back.

Poppi tugged a twig snagged on her dress. "How come you're here?"

Stopping Little Poppi looked up and pointed. "In there." She looked to Poppi. "I'm not real. I am just the version of you daddy imagines when he is lonely."

Following the pale hand Poppi looked up and gasped at the house towering in the night before was a replica of the Amber house only something was wrong with it. Out of place with it. The house made to look like hers was sinister. "Does this mean you're going now?"

Her answer came in the form of silence and she was alone again.

"Ahhhh!" Poppi screamed and clutched the area over her heart collapsing to her knees. It felt like the fibres of the muscle were tearing apart and being burnt away which coiled all the way down to her toes and exploded out of the top of her head.  
>The pain was too intense to stand and her body faltered to the woodland floor, face smacking into the dense undergrowth of tree roots snarled amongst stinking earth. Ringing beat through her ears and curling to a ball she cried out in pain again. "Please stop!" Poppi's entire body began to tremble and before a veil of black took her vision the last thing she saw was bare feet coming towards her.<p>

* * *

"Jesus mother of Christ!" Duke swore as his hand come down heavily over his chest. His heart felt a rivet of searing anguish bolt through it. Tears swelled in his eyes and sweat beaded along his skin at the ferocity and intensity it was coming at him with.

The men in front of him stopped and whipped around to see Duke doubling over and holding his chest as if scared it would break away from him if he didn't. Nathan's eyes widened and Dwight knew what was going on.

"It's Poppi...oh yea that's my girl." Working through the gut tearing ache Duke forced himself back to height. his breaths were ragged but a surge of energy almost liken to his troubles strength rushed through him. "This way."

Pushing past Dwight and Nathan, Duke knew where to find Poppi. But what else was there? None of them could be sure.

"Something is following us." Dwight hushly informed the others as they kept a jogging pace with Duke.

"It's been on us since we got here." Nathan confirmed, is gun in hand already.

Dwight looked over at the weapon uneasily and was thankful he was wearing his bulletproof vest.

There was a flicker to their right of something rushing past them and as they looked over the thing that had whipped past them made itself known. However it wasn't what the men had expected.

"Ahoi hoi." Little Poppi stood barefoot in a nightgown in front of them with a smile on her face.

The trio halted not knowing what to do next after being prepared for something much more dire to meet them.

"Poppi?" Duke said remembering the way she looked when she was younger as did Nathan.

Dwight was watching as the men stared at the little girl. "She's something Thomson has created.

"Don't be scared." She put up a small hand. "I want to help daddy. I have...I mean big Poppi, she needs your help." Her eyes landed on Duke. "You got old."

His brow rose. "I forget how cheeky the young you was."

She giggled. "Come on. You aren't far but be quiet. Mother is awake."

* * *

Her chest ached as she slowly began to wake and Poppi looked around herself, expecting to find dirt in her face but was more alarmed when he found herself looking at the fireplace in her house. Shooting up to her knees she wildly looked around, but this wasn't her home it was the sinister house little Poppi had brought her to.

A noise caught her attention.

The fireplace began to crackle but no one was around the start it. Poppi began to back up seeing sparks starting to dance in the hearth. She couldn't help but watch them though with fascination, the little beginnings captured her attention. Before she knew it they were growing and growing till they spilled past the base and reared up with a din spearheading towards her.

Poppi whipped her arms in front of her face instantaneously to protect herself from the wildfire coming towards her. A fire that never made it to her. Carefully Poppi began to drop her arms and looked into the crackling flame that had come to a standstill inches from her flesh. It seemed to be suspended in mid air.

"Well done." A beautiful yet smug voice complimented Poppi.

Turning to look behind her Poppi's eyes grew larger. "Mother." Her lips barely uttered the word while she found herself peering back at the woman whose photos she grew up surrounded by. "But you're dead." The frighteningly realisation set itself upon her and she snapped to her feet, clutching her hands in fists so tight.

The woman watched with a wondrous smile pulling at her lips, her was marvelling at the daughter that was hers. "I never thought I would see you after dropping you off to the Wuornos's. But here you are." Gently Lily unfolded herself from the lounge chair and took a step forward holding out her hand. "You are so beautiful, my gorgeous Poppi-flower."

Poppi stepped back flashing a look behind her to the flames.

"Don't worry, you're controlling them now. I am too weak being here to do much more than that if I want to keep on existing. This place takes it's tolls on me." Lily was still staring at Poppi. "You are hear for Thomson?"

She nodded not trusting the figure in front of her. "Are you something else that dad imagined up here?"

"Oh goodness no." Her laugh was musical. "No, I am just here. This is my place."

"So you're a ghost?"

"I guess you could say that."

Poppi's panic was starting to rise but as it did an invasion of worry that wasn't her own clouded her head. "Duke" She whispered.

The name registered on Lily's face. "Ah the Crocker's...they seem to have a way over the Amber women."

Behind Lily the door handle began to rattle.

"If they come in I will burn them." She warned her daughter. "This is my place child."

Poppi's face twisted into shock. "Don't come in!" She called out.

"What? Why?" Duke shouted back. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just don't come in, Trust me." She replied without her eyes moving from her mother's.

Lily smiled only this time it wasn't beautiful. "That little brat Thomson dreamt up had lead them here. She is a nuisance you know, always hiding him."

Poppi followed the woman as she began to cross the room. "She brought you to the house as well. but she was right in saying you shouldn't have come here. Here is a dangerous place for those that don't belong."

"Where is my dad?" It was time to cut the chit chat. "Tell me now."

"Or what?" She snarled.

Poppi's began to curl her hand behind her bending the flames to her will. They shot up the wall and licked at the ceiling causing the paint to bubble and blacken. "You said you were weak...now I have had a really, really bad week and just want to find my dad and go home. So where is he?"

Her fine brow arched. "My, my aren't we a spicy young woman. I can see why Duke Crocker is drawn to you. The Crocker men like a strong lady by their side."

"Is that why you cheated on dad?" Spite and malice that again wasn't her own was starting to take over just as the irrational irritation at the real Amber house had. Only then she wasn't aware of her troubles, but this time she was. This roller coaster of emotions was her father's which meant he was in the house.

"I loved Thomson but Simon...oh Simon was exciting and dangerous. You do know it is the Crocker's trouble to kill other troubled people? It's why they exist is to keep the balance." The wavering look on her daughter's face told her Poppi didn't know that. "But don't worry I am sure your lover-boy wouldn't dream of hurting you."

"How ever long you've been stuck in this place has made you a bitter crazy woman. You are nothing like the woman I grew up hearing about." Poppi spat, the flames were expanding behind her and feeding off her emotions. "Tell me where my dad is!"

From outside the door the foursome could hear voices escalating inside, Duke's heart dropped as he heard Lily out his trouble. "We need to get in there."

"No." Dwight said pushing Duke away from the door. "Trust Poppi. We should look for Thomson instead. Little Poppi, do you know where your daddy is?"

She nodded. "I'll show you."

Back inside the house the fire behind Poppi was hissing with cruel excitement. "Duke isn't like the rest of his family. He is a kind man so you can drop that already. You were the selfish one that hurt this family." The words were pouring from her lips.

"That sounds like your father talking. You know he came here willingly as punishment for sending you away...for burying my body all the way out in this hell hole." Her voice was venom. "But all he would ever moan about was missing you, he was crazy in the end. When Thomson came here he was a snivelling old man."

A sudden bloom of hope grew inside Poppi's chest. She again flexed her fingers to quell the fire but instead of it receding back into the fireplace it snaked around her hand and slide beneath her flesh.

Lily's head titled. Now the fire had dulled away they could both hear movement in the basement of the house. "I told you if they came in here I would burn them!" With a howl her mother disappeared into thin air.


	8. Minute of Decay

Following the young Poppi through a hidden door situated behind the house she led them as quietly as they could tread to the kitchen. "It's there." She pointed to the space were a dining table sat in the real house, but in this one it had been replaced with a door in the floor.

"It leads to the basement, it's where mother keeps daddy." Her little fingers were twisting into her nightgown. "I'll keep watch up here."

Dwight stepped forward and tugged on the trap door until it began to open and they peered in. Blackness met them. "I'll go first."

Following Dwight Duke was next and then Nathan. The trio felt around until a light switch was found and flipped on. There in the middle of the room was a bound and gagged Thomson Amber, his eyes widened as he looked back at the three strangers in the room with him. He didn't recognize any of their faces although he should have.

"It's okay Mr Amber." Nathan cautiously approached Thomson. "We are here to help get you out of here. Now I am going to take that gag off but you have to keep quiet." He reassured the old before reaching out and removing the dirty material. "Are you okay?"

Thomson was desperate to reply but there was a forced stopping him from uttering a sound, a force that was squeezing his throat. He nodded.

"Something's wrong." Duke pointed out as he tugged at the ropes knots holding Thomson's wrists together. "Poppi is panicking...I think something bad is coming our way."

"Well let's just be quick about this, get Poppi and leave." Dwight replied working on the binds across Thomson's ankles.

"Smart boy." Lily's statuesque form began to appear before them from thin air. "However not smart enough to keep away from here in the first place."

Smoke began to rise around them in thickets so dark it would smother them in moments.

"Stop it!" Poppi shouted as she hit the last stair of the basement, the desperation in her voice turned to her trouble and killed the smoke. "Get him out of here." She looked to Duke. "And hurry up." In the moments running through the house towards the basement an unsure plan had begun to take shape in her head.

It was risky but there was nothing else left out there. When Lily had said her body was buried out in that cursed place a thought had sprung to mind.

"He will come back out here." Her mother chuckled. "This is my home dear girl."

"I know." She replied keeping one eye as the men worked to free her father. "And it shouldn't be. You should be home in Haven. Tell me where he buried you so I can take you home as well." Being so close to both her father and Duke meant that there was twice the emotions running through her. Fear, anger, excitement, adrenalin and love concentrated into her body.

For a moment her mother looked at her daughter with a glint in her eye, caught off guard at the suggestion. "What makes you think I want to go back to Haven?"

"Little Poppi can you get my friends and dad back to Duke's boat?" She asked.

"I can." Little Poppi stepped out from behind her older self having followed her down.

The wall behind them began to smoke and spark. The pressure Poppi was placing on it with her troubles saw it crumble without effort. "Go now!" She shouted directing the flames around her mother before they caught the gang exiting through the desolated wall.

"Stupid girl!" Lily shrilled at the top of her lungs and her body came rushing through the flames catching fire. Her hand took hold of Poppi's arm.

She yelped at the touch and drew her arm back to see a messy wad of fire burns had left it's mark around her forearm. "You need to get out of here! I won't leave this place standing." It was a threat and a warning from her daughter.

"I will burn your friends to the ground before I let your father escape this place!" Again she had dissolved into nothing.

The dark early hours of the morning were chilling as Dwight, Nathan and Duke with Thomson hauled between them ran as fast as they could towards the Cape Rouge.

"It's just there!" Little Poppi shouted and pointed.

"NO!" A ring of fire blazed up before them and they stumbled back from the heat. "No one is leaving this place." Lily could feel an ache in her spine from the display but kept her stature. "I want this sad little man to feel the agony I have felt for years in this place." She was furious and nothing more at being left to rot so far away from everything she had loved.

Thomson found himself being set down and the men that had saved him were putting themselves as a barrier between him and the fire. "I...I never wanted to come here." He spoke. Looking down at his hands he flexed them. "I remember that night, at least part of it."

"Tell us on the boat when we get there Mr Amber." Duke leant back. "Cause we are getting on that boat."

"Duke? Duke Crocker?" Thomson had barely recognized the man inside the house but now he was away from that twisted place he was able to register the faces around him.

"Yes sir." Duke replied still keeping an eye on the flames as they seemed to draw closer.

"What do we do now?" Dwight asked.

Nathan looked back over his shoulder catching Thomson. "Mr Amber, can your wife be touched? Like if I went to grab her would it work?"

Thomson nodded. "Yes, I have tried to catch her many times but she just disappeared. Though whatever she is now is able to be touched."

Looking to Duke he pressed his lips into a long line. "Right now, and I hate to say this, your trouble might be able to get us out of here."

"What if it doesn't work and I end up making things worse?" He knew what Nathan was asking him to do.

"If it does work though you can get us out of here and rid Poppi or at least one of her troubles."

Duke was torn between the decision.

Dwight stepped back as flame lunged at him. "I don't think this can get much worse!"

"Fine!" Duke growled. He dug a hand into his pocket and produced a pocket knife and handed it to Nathan. "The minute your blood touches me be ready to get the hell away."

Again Poppi found herself racing hoping to reach her friends in time before her mother did. But her plan still hadn't failed and she was determined to put an end to this. Relief began to flower as she saw the Cape Rouge ahead but was short lived as her eyes clamped into the sight of an ever growing fire pushing the group back towards Lily.

Coming to a stop Poppi could see and feel Duke, but there was something in his face that was making her nervous. She could feel uncertainty but also a need to protect them all radiating from him as if he were standing right beside her.

Poppi knew what he was about to do. "NO!" She screamed out before Nathan could lay a cut hand on Duke. The animosity of every emotion entering her and clashing with her own fanned itself into the fire making it her own as quickly as it had been lit. The sensation of liquid fire hit her and she gasped, dryness hit the back of her throat and stung her eyes.

"This is too big for you Poppi-cake. You don't know what you're doing." Her mother laughed.

"Poppi, you can do this my sweet girl." Her father called from the group and pushed past them to see his daughter standing feet away from them. "You are stronger than you think, I can feel it."

She nodded. "Get onto the boat." Focusing on the flames Poppi found it hauntingly easy now for her to control them. Her want was to draw them back enough to make a clear path to the boat but for them to keep burning and they did just that.

"Come on Poppi." Duke called her over but to his dismay she shook her head. "Get it started and I will be there."

Duke could feel her fear but over that he could feel her confidence and that spurred him on to do as she said. "If you're not on that boat before it leaves I am going to come back and force you on it."

"I am counting on it." And she was. Her attention turned towards Lily. "If you won't leave I will still help you. This place has twisted you into something chaotic, you aren't my mom here."

Lily looked back at her daughter and nodded, she was weak and unable to put up a fight. Lily had woken up on that far away place disorientated and heartbroken, over the years that had turned her into the psychotic monster she was now. "I don't know where he buried me though."

"It's okay." Poppi was making her way towards the boat and turned before she reached the flames. They flared back up again hiding the Cape Rouge from view. This was her plan and it had been since the basement. "I'm sorry this happened to you mom, I wish it hadn't."

Her mother wrapped her arms around her waist. "Sometimes I forget who I am out here, but I remember you. I always remember you Poppi-flower, I loved you so much. I just wish I had been there to see you grow up."

Poppi could feel tears prickling her eyes. "I wished that too, every day. Good bye mom." Letting go of every single feeling crushing her in that moment the flames behind her feed deeply into her and rushed forward like a sea of lava devouring the haunted island they'd been bought to. Poppi could see into the fire around her as it ate away at the trees and swallowed the fog as it searched for the place her mother's bones were kept to do away with those as well. They would be taken by the fire of trouble and finally Lily would be able to move on.

Back on the boat the men watched as the fire over ran the island feeling the heat radiate over them. "What is she doing?" Nathan asked with high alarm.

"Freeing her mother and me." Thomson replied. "Duke, she needs you."

"I know." He nodded quickly to head off the boat.

Dropping to her knees Poppi's palms connected with the ground. The fire had done it's intended job and was now recoiling back into her. The island was black and charred, nothing around her had survived. There was nothing but weakness and languor left in her and the overwhelming feeling of her trouble starting to grow again inside her. It felt like it were about to take her over as retribution for what she'd just done. The child killing it's mother.

"I said I would come back for you." Duke's arms were scooping her up and bundling her close to him.

Her vision was blurry and smoke stained her skin but as Duke's flesh touched hers that very feeling of faltering soon ceased and was replaced with a feverish tenderness emanating from him to her. With a smile so frail and small she reached a hand up and stroked his cheek. "You're really pretty."

"And you're really out of it darlin'." Lifting her onto the boat and having left Dwight in charge of coasting them back to Haven, he took her below deck.

Feeling the softness of Duke's bed meet her back Poppi let out a sigh. "Where's my dad?"

"Above deck." Duke had moved to the end of the bed and was now removing her boots. "He's okay, I can feel you worrying. But he's okay, a little dazed though.

"You can feel that?" Her voice croaked.

"Yea, I guess that vice versa connection opened up. That was something extraordinary you pulled back there." Duke rested a hand on her knee and kept an intent gaze upon her.

Poppi sorely rolled to her side and glanced down at the melted skin on her arm. "There wasn't any other choice. She didn't know where she was buried and if I didn't do what I did she would still be there."

Duke smiled wearily at her down at her as her eyes began to close, they were all exhausted. "Get some rest for now." He tenderly pushed her hair behind her ear and stayed until he knew she was fast asleep.

Thomson watched from the entrance as Duke tended to the burn on her arm and quietly fussed around her. "I knew I was wrong about you, Duke. When you came and saw me that day, I knew I was wrong."

He looked up. "You weren't to know, after all I am a Crocker and you know what we do."

Entering the room Thomson sighed, there was a sag in his broad shoulders. "You're not like your father boy, if you were none of us would be here. You would have kept doing what your father and grandfather had done and wiped us out."

Duke stared at Thomson from the side of the bed, is hand stroking Poppi's ginger hair as she slept. "We will be back in Haven by the afternoon."

"Good, I have some things I need to sort out."


	9. End and Beginning

Poppi could smell Duke's aftershave on her pillows when she woke the next day. Her arm still stung but felt better under the bandages. She stretched and looked around the empty room knowing Duke was still in the house, probably shuffling around down stairs and her father as well. Both of them gave off such strong emotional energy that she didn't have to move from the bed to know they weren't far.  
>But as her eyes met the clock on the wall looking at her Poppi decided that being in bed past lunch was just laziness even after what she'd been through.<p>

With a stifled yawn Poppi dragged her tender body from the bed and began to pull on her usual dress and cardigan when she decided that the shirt of Duke's on the floor next to her feet looked more comfortable. Slipping it on Poppi teamed it with a worn pair of blue shorts and tied her hair into a messy knot atop her head before coming down the stairs.

"Morning my two favourite boys." Her bare feet made a gentle tapping sound as she entered the kitchen.

"Morning dear." Thomson looked well rested and gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek.

"How'd you sleep?" Duke asked pointing her to a seat where he placed a glass of fresh orange juice in front of her.

The sight of him in the kitchen was something Poppi could see herself becoming accustomed to. "Like a log. How about you two?"

Her dad sat back with a small smile over his face, the grey in his eyes brighter and mind clearer. "The best sleep I have had in a long time." He leaned forward and clasped his hands together. "And now you're awake I can discuss a few things with you."

Duke looked over already knowing what Thomson was going to eventually say. It had taken him by surprise that morning when he had wanted to have a chat with Duke.

Poppi was looking at both the men in her life with speculation in her eyes. "It feels like I am the last to know about whatever you're going to say."

Taking the seat next to her Duke placed his hand over hers. "It's not that, we just had to discuss a few things first."

Thomson nodded more to him but looked towards Poppi. "I can never repay you for what you did for me, you saved me. Poppi I never thought I would see you again but here you are and I want to correct the mistakes I made with you. It was the wrong move to send you away from Haven when I did and while I know I can't make up for that I can at least offer you something.

Haven is somewhere I can no longer stay, it holds too many painful memories but for you it's a new start and a place where you can be safe with your troubles. Around people who care for you," he glanced to Duke, "People who love you. So I want you to have this house, it's your home. It was then and is now."

For a moment Poppi was staring into the space in front of her getting mixed feelings from Thomson. "You're going to leave, where to?"

"Nebraska, there is a little farm out there with my name and down deposit on it. Before going to that island I had made plans to move out there. Vince was to find you and give you this place on my behalf...guess I am doing it for myself though." Thomson studied Poppi's face through crinkled eyes. "The paperwork is done already."

Fresh tears prickled her eyes and wit her free hand Poppi reached across the table and took her father's hand. "I...you know when I was in that school night after night I would pray to whoever would listen that you would come and take me away. Bring me back home. There were so many things I missed out on and a life I could have had, one that I wanted more than anything." Drawing back from both the men she wrapped her arms around her waist, knee jigging as she thought. "And it turns out that eventually you were going to see me back here." Her face broke into a smile and she rushed from her spot into her father's arms.

Thomson taken by both surprise and relief wrapped his arms around Poppi. "There is also something else."

Pulling back Poppi wiped tears from her cheeks. "What is it?"

He nodded towards Duke. "You and Duke, it was my own hate and fear of the Crocker's that had you both too scared to tell me but when Duke eventually did I lied." He sighed. "Another one of my mistakes, but I can see he isn't his father and that Duke here only cares for you. So as late as it is I give you both...the green light...blessings is a little old fashioned to say don't you think?" Thomson chuckled as Poppi blushed.

"Thank you dad." She said stroking the side of his face.

There was a sheepish smile on Duke's face, all he'd ever wanted was for Poppi's dad to accept them and now he was. "I think this calls for a drink. I have a great vintage red sitting on the Cape Rogue if anyone fancies a day trip?"


End file.
